Pilates for Cancer Patients - Video Transcript

Sarah Mifsud:

Pilates is a technique of movement that has two components. There’s a matt component and a specialized equipment component.

I teach matt exercises at M. D. Anderson Place ... of wellness and the matt is geared for non-impact exercises for a wide range of people.

Pilates can be good for cancer patients specifically or anybody rehabilitating or healing from surgeries, illnesses because it’s very adaptable to different body types and different body conditions. So, if someone has been maybe de-conditioned because of an illness, and they’re not very strong, Pilates can be adapted to that person and they can gain strength over time.

I see a lot of women who have had mastectomies or lumpectomies, and the range of motion through their arms is limited. And they have gone through physical therapy, which has helped them, and Pilates has sort of been the next step out of physical therapy to continue building range of motion and strength.

What I see and what’s really exciting to see in Pilates classes here at M. D. Anderson is that people change right in front of me by being able to move in a way that they didn’t know they could do.

I can see how people participating in Pilates classes benefit from the movement, and I can see how Pilates benefits cancer patients.